Holdfast device for logging-cars, &amp;c.



No. 779,036. v PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. E. w. FUHR.

HOLDPAST DEVICE FOR LOGGING CARS, 8w.

APPLIOATIdN FILED JUNE 6. 1904.

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NITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905' PATENT OFFICE.

HOLDFAST DEVICE FOR LOGGING-CARS, 81.0.

SPEC IFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,036, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed June 6, 1904. Serial No. 211,384.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE W'. FUHR, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Vineland, in the county of Columbus and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Holdfast Devices for Securingin Position the Side Standards of Logging Cars or Wagons to Their Bolsters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holdfast devices for securing in position the side standards of logging cars or wagons to their bolsters.

The invention aims, primarily, to provide a holdfast device for the purpose referred to which can be readily moved to and retained in clamping position for securely holding the side standards in position to their bolsters, as well as being easily shifted or dropped from clamping position, so that the standard can be removed or replaced, as occasion requires. The invention further aims to provide a holdfast-device with what may be termed a clamping-cuff for connecting a standard in position, said cuff being so constructed as to support, in connection with the bolster, the standard against lateral pressure. The standard-when in position and when pressure is applied thereto bears intermediate its ends against the cuff and at its lower end bears against the end of the bolster, or, in other words, the cuff acts in the nature of a fulcrum for the standard, and the end of the bolsteracts as an abutment for the lower end of the standard. By such an arrangement when the standard is supported by the clamping-cuff it is securely connected to its respective bolsterand the pressure "upon the supporting means for the cuff is reduced to a minimu'rn.-,

The; invention further aims to provide a holdfast device for the purpose set forth with a swinging or shiftable clamping-cuff which when in its inoperative position hangs below the bolster, whichiprevents the cuff from becoming injured or damaged during the loading of the car or wagon or during the travel of the empty car or wagon.

The invention further aims to provide a holdfast device for the purpose set forth with a shiftable or swinging clamping-cuff for retaining in'position side standards of varying sizes, or, in other words, the cuff is so constructed as to enable the positioning and retaining in position of a sappling or other suitable means in case of a broken standard.

The invention further aims to construct a holdfastdevice for the purpose set forth which shall be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, eificient in its use, readily moved to and from operative position, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter. more specifically described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which- 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of one-half of a bolster, showing a holdfast device constructed in accordance with this invention attached thereto and supporting a standard. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side ele vation showing the cuff dropping to inoperative position, the direction of travel of the cuff being indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is a detail ofthe clamping-cuff, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the supporting means for the clamping-cuff.

The drawings illustrate a holdfast device for the purpose referred to constructed in accordance with thisinvention; but it is evident that the construction as shown may be modified in connection with minor details without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings the reference character 1 denotes the ordinary bolster of a logging car or wagon, and to each end of the bolster is attached a holdfast device constructed in ac cordance with this invention. Only one of the holdfast devices is shown,and adescription thereof will apply to the other.

The holdfast device constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a clamping-cuif, and a connecting and a supporting member.

The clamping-cuff consists of a bar of metallic material bent upon itself so as to form the cuff of substantially yoke shape, or, in other words, to form a pair of sides and an outer end portion. Each of the sides of the clamping-cuff is formed with an upwardlyextending inclined portion 2, terminating in an outwardly and slightly-downwardly extending inclined portion 3. the sides of the curl terminate in the downwardly and inwardly extending inclined end portion 4, which has the thickness of metal at its upper end on its outer face enlarged, as at 5, and the function of said enlargement will be hereinafter referred to. The inner end of each of the inclined portions 2 of the cufl are apertured, as at 6, and the function of said apertures will be hereinafter referred to.

The connecting member consists of a headed bolt 7, carrying on one end the clampingnut8 and extending through a pair of bearing-plates 9, which are secured in position through the medium of the bolt 10 and nut 11. The bolt 7 is adapted to extend through the bolster, and for this purpose the bolster is provided with an opening at a point removed from its end, but near its bottom. The

bearing-plates 9 are sunk into the bolster 1, suitable recesses being provided for this purpose, and the bolt 10 extends through the opening in the bolster, so as to retain the bearing-plates 9 in position. The bolt 7 extends through the apertures 6 in the inclined portions 2 of the clamping-cuff, so as to pivotally connect said clamping-cuif to the bolster, and by such an arrangement it will be evident that the clamping-cuff when in its operative position extends from near the bottom of the bolster to near the top thereof at one upper corner, and with respect to the bolster the cuff is pivotally connected thereto off center.

The supporting means for the cuff consists of an L-shaped key-pin 12, having a beveled side 13, a stop-lug 14, a tongue 15, and an opening 16. The key-pin 12 is adapted to extend through the keyhole-plates 17 provided with keyhole-openings 18. Said plates may also be termed bearing-plates for the keypin 12, and the said plates are secured on each side of the bolster 1, near the end thereof, and the openings 17 in said plates register with an opening formed in the bolster, so that the keypin 17 can extend through the bolster 1 and be turned to its locking position, which will cause the tongue 15 to engage, if an attempt is made to draw the pin through the opening, one face of the bolster, and consequently the movement of the pin 12 will be arrested. The

The portions 8 of pin 12 is preferably cylindrical in contour, with the exception of its beveled face 13, and when the pin 12 is in its supporting position the lower edge of the side portions 2 of the clamping-cufi rests upon the round portion of the pin 12; but when the pin is turnedto release the cuff the beveled side of the pin extends parallel with the lower edge of the portions 2, and consequently the pin can be withdrawn. The lug 14 is adapted to engage the lower edge of one of the side portions 2 to limit the movement of the pin 12 in one direction.

The side standard is indicated by the reference character 19 and has one side'straight and the other side tapering, and said tapering side is adapted to engage the end 4 of the clamping-cuff, as shown.

When it is desired to remove a standard, the pin 12 is turned until its beveled side is parallel with the lower edge of the portion 2 of the clamping-cuff and said pin then withdrawn from the bolster. A sledge-hammer or other implement is then employed to drive downwardly the clamping-cuff by striking the enlarged portion 5 of the end 41. Such action causes the clamping-cuff to drop or fall and be suspended from below the bolster and which will allow the standard 19 to also fall from its position. The construction of the cuff in the manner shown causes the standard 19 to bear against the end 4 of said cuff and to also bear against the bolster, and the strain is outwardly and not upon the key-pin. Consequently the pressure upon the key pin is reduced to a minimum.

From the construction of cuff as set forth it is evident that if a standard should become broken another one or a sapling can readily replace it by simply tapering one side of the sapling so as to slightly conform to the inclined end portion 4: of the clampingcufl". The lower ends of the side portions 2 may be thicker than the remaining portion of the cuff, so as to increase the strength of the cuff and prevent the wear from the bolt 7 It is thought the many advantages of a holdfast device for the side standards of logging cars or wagons can be thoroughly understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will furthermore be evident that changes, variations, and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and I therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the details of construction hereinbefore described, and set forth in the annexed drawings,

.but reserve the right to make such changes,

variations, and modifications as come properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' its operative position, and means extending and a removable supporting means for the cuff 1. A holdfast device of the character described,having a swinging cuff provided with a pair of upwardly-extending inclined portions terminatingin a pair of outwardly and slightlydownwardly extending inclined portions terminatingin inwardly and downwardly extending end portion.

2. A holdfast device of the character described,having a swinging cuff provided with a pair of upwardly-extending inclined portions terminatingin a pair of outwardly and slightlydownwardly extending inclined portions terminating in inwardly and downwardly extending end portion, said end portion having its top enlarged.

3. A holdfast device of the character described, comprising a swinging clamping-cufi", a removable means arranged below the cufl and adapted to support it, and means for pivoting the inner end of the cufl'.

4. The combination with a bolster provided with a pair of openings, of aclamping-cuff surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, means extending through one of said openings and the inner end of the cuff for pivotally connecting the cuff to the bolster,

extending through the other of said openings.

5. The combination with a bolster provided with a pair of openings, of aclamping-chff surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, means extending through one of said openings and the inner end of the cuif for pivotally connecting the cuff to the bolster, a removable supporting means for the cuff extending through the other of said openings, bearing means for said connecting means, and bearing means for said supporting means.

6. The combination with a bolster provided with a pair of openings out of longitudinal alinement with each other, of a clamping-cuff surrounding one end of the bolster and proecting therefrom, a removable supporting means extending through the upper of said openings and adapted to support said cuff in through the lower of said openings for pivotally connecting the cuff to the bolster.

7 The combination with a bolster provided with a pair of openings out of longitudinal alinement with each other, of a clamping-cufi surrounding one end of the bolster and proecting therefrom, a removable supporting means extending through the upper of said openings and adapted to support said cuff in its operative position, means extending through the lower of said openings for pivotally COD. necting the cuff to the bolster, bearing means for said sup porting means, and a bearing means for said connecting means.

8. The combination with a bolster provided with a pair of openings out of longitudinal alinement with each other, of a clamping-cuff surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, a removable supporting means extending through the upper of said openings and adapted to support said cuff in its operative position, means extending through the lower of said openings for pivotally connecting the cufi to the bolster, a pair of bearing-plates secured to the bolster for said supporting means, and a pair of bearing-plates secured to the bolster for said connecting means.

9. A holdfast device of the character described, having a clamping-cuff, a key-pin arranged below and adapted to support said cuff,

said pin having a beveled side, and means for pivoting the inner end of the cuff.

10. The combination with abolster, of a cuff surrounding one end thereof and projecting therefrom, a removable key-pin extending through said bolster and arranged below and adapted to support the cuff, and means for pivotally connecting the inner end of the cufi to the bolster.

11. The combination with a bolster having a keyhole-slot and an opening, of a swinging cufi" surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, a removable key-pin extending through said slot and adapted to support said cuff in its operative position, and means extending through said opening for pivotally connecting the inner end of the cuff to the bolster.

12. The combination with a bolster having a keyhole-slot and an opening out of longitudinal alinement with said slot, of a clampingcuif surrounding one end of said bolster and projecting therefrom, a removable key-pin extending through said slot and provided with a bevel surface, said pin adapted to support said cuflf in its operative position, and when shifted so as to bring the beveled surface thereof in alinement with the lower edge of the cuff, capable of being removed, and means extending through the said opening for pivotally connecting the inner end of the cufl to the bolster.

13. The combination with a bolster, of an upwardly and outwardly extending clampingcuff surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, said outwardly-extending portion of said cuff depending at a slight inclination and adapted to support a standard, means extending through the bolster near one end thereof for supporting said cuff, and means extending through the bolster near the bottom thereof for pivotally connecting the inner end of the cuff to the bolster.

14. The combination with a bolster, of an upwardly and outwardly extending clampingcuff surrounding one end of the bolster and projecting therefrom, said outwardly-extending portion of said cuif depending at a slight inclination and adapted to support a standard, removable means extending through the bolster near one end thereof for supporting said In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cufi', said supporting means when removed, my hand in presence of two subscribing Witadapted to permit of the dropping down of nesses.

the cufi to inoperative position, and means extending through the bolster near the bottom thereof for pivotally connecting the inner end of the cuif to the bolster.

EUGENE W. FUHR. Witnesses:

N. L. BOGAN, J AMES L. NoRRIs, Jr. 

